What to expect from your property manager

What services should a property manager provide for your Algarve property? Can a property management company help with holiday rentals? Find out about the services that can help avoid problems with your property in the Algarve.

Owning a property in the Algarve is generally considered to be a good thing. After all, who wouldn’t like to have a home where there are award-winning beaches and golf courses, many more sunny than cloudy days, where the food is delicious as well as healthy, and where the natural scenery is breath-takingly beautiful. However, as any home-owner knows, properties come with responsibilities and obligations. Fulfilling these can be daunting, particularly if you do not live in your Algarve property all year round or if you are using the property as a source of rental income. Finding the right property management company can remove a great deal of the work, worry and bureaucracy involved in property ownership.

Algarve PMR Services have been providing property management and renovation services in the Algarve for twenty years. Such experience means that they have dealt with many of the possible scenarios that long-distance home-owners can experience in the Algarve. We asked Natalie from Algarve PMR Services what you should expect from a property management company.

In addition to the usual services provided, Natalie says “A good property management company should expect the unexpected and always be aware of any little detail that is amiss at a property. By paying attention, we can catch issues early, before they become real problems. For example, we had a property where the owner had inadvertently left the back-wash on in the pool. We noticed the drop in water level on our weekly inspection and were able to reverse the situation before the filter burned out, saving the owner money and headaches”.

A property management company should be able to work proactively when required. “For example”, says Natalie “if stormy weather is on the way, all garden furniture, sunshades etc need to be safely stored. Heading into the winter season, drains should be checked and cleared before the rain falls, rather than dealing with blocked drains after the fact. And if a property is unused for some time, we will not only do regular checks to ensure the property is secure, but we make sure to flush water through the pipes, allow air to circulate in the property and check on dehumidifiers”.

There are of course fees involved for the services of a property management company. But by and large, it is an investment that will save you time, money and stress, particularly if your property is unoccupied for part of the year or if you wish to earn income through rentals at your property.

Services you can expect from a Property Management company

• Regular property inspections – this, when done properly, can be vital in avoiding potential problems with unoccupied properties.
• Rental management – marketing of the property; client vetting; maximizing income from your property; registering guests with SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras).
• Meet & Greet service – to welcome rental guests to the property and to explain how everything functions at the property.
• Accounts management – bill paying, account preparation for tax purposes.
• Licences – assistance in registering your property as local rental accommodation; fulfilling health and safety requirements.
• Maid, laundry, garden and pool services.

In addition, a property management company should have excellent local knowledge and contacts, so that they can guide you to the right people for what you need, should it be licences, services, renovations or building work. Portugal offers some attractive tax incentives, particularly to non-habitual residents. While property managers are not necessarily experts in this field, they can put you in touch with accountants and tax consultants so that your property investment works as much to your advantage as possible.

Find out more about Algarve PMR Services 

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